Modular fusion power apparatus using disposable core

Abstract

A fusion power generating device is disclosed having a relatively small and inexpensive core region which may be contained within an energy absorbing blanket region. The fusion power core region contains apparatus of the toroidal type for confining a high density plasma. The fusion power core is removable from the blanket region and may be disposed and/or recycled for subsequent use within the same blanket region. The high density plasma produces a large radiation and particle flux on the first wall of the plasma core region thereby necessitating replacement of the core from the blanket region from time to time. A series of disposable and replaceable central core regions are disclosed for a large-scale economical electrical power generating plant.

I claim: 
     
       1. A modular installation for generating thermal energy from fusion reactions in an ionized plasma of fusible fuel comprising: (a) a plurality of fusion core units each including as components thereof, 1. a vacuum plasma cavity for containing said fusible fuel said cavity in the form of a toroid surrounding a central region;   2. a plurality of toroidal field coils surrounding said plasma cavity for generating a toroidal magnetic field therein; and     
     
     
       3. ohmic heating means for inducing an ohmic heating current in the ionized plasma within the plasma cavity of each of said fusion core units for raising the temperature of said plasma, said ohmic heating means including a transformer means contained within said central region so that said toroidal plasma cavity surrounds said transformer means, and said ohmic heating current generating a poloidal magnetic field within said plasma, said components of each fusion core unit being so arranged and interconnected as to allow handling of said fusion core unit as a single entity; (b) disconnectable means extending into each of said fusion core units for delivering said fusible fuel therein;   (c) a plurality of disconnectable means for transporting a cooling fluid to and through the toroidal field coils of each of said fusion core units;   (d) a power supply connected through disconnectable means to said toroidal field coils for generating a toroidal magnetic field for confining the ionized plasma within the plasma cavity of said fusion core units, said toroidal magnetic field having a strength of on the order of greater than 100 KG;   (e) said plurality of toroidal field coils comprising high-strength, non-superconducting conductors for sustaining said toroidal magnetic field and for withstanding said thermal energy;   (f) a plurality of blanket means, one corresponding to each of said fusion core units, each of said blanket means being positioned completely outside of and substantially surrounding said toroidal field coils, each of said blanket means comprising at least two modules;   (g) said toroidal field coils and said plasma cavity have no blanket means therebetween;   (h) means for connecting and disconnecting each of said disconnectable means, means for separating said at least two modules of each blanket means a distance sufficient to allow removal of the respective fusion core unit, means for removing and inserting a fusion core unit as a single entity between the separated modules of each blanket means;   (i) a plurality of blanket cooling fluid transport means connected to said plurality of blanket means for transporting a cooling fluid to and through each of said blanket means; and   (j) means, connected to at least one of the plurality of blanket cooling fluid transport means and the plurality of toroidal field cooling fluid transport means, for extracting thermal energy therefrom whereby the means for extracting thermal energy is operable to receive thermal energy from all of said plurality of fusion core units of said modular installation which are operating at a given time.   
     
     
       2. A modular installation as recited in claim 1 wherein said each fusion core unit includes a toroidal housing having a major radius on the order of 50 cm and a minor radius on the order of 20 cm. 
     
     
       3. A modular installation as recited in claim 1 wherein said plasma cavity further includes a shell surrounded by said toroidal field coils and said means for transporting a cooling fluid to and through said plurality of toroidal field coils further comprises means for transporting said cooling fluid around surfaces of said toroidal shell adjacent said toroidal field coils. 
     
     
       4. A modular installation as recited in claim 1 wherein said blanket means further include tritium breeding means for generating tritium from neutrons emitted by said fusion reactions. 
     
     
       5. A modular installation as recited in claim 1 wherein said plasma cavity further includes a shell surrounded by said toroidal field coils. 
     
     
       6. A modular installation as recited in claim 5 wherein said means for magnetically confining said plasma further comprises means, in addition to said ohmic heating means, for generating said poloidal magnetic field. 
     
     
       7. A modular installation as recited in claim 1 wherein each of said fusion core units comprise a toroidal region having an aspect ratio of about on the order of 2.5. 
     
     
       8. A modular installation as recited in claim 1 wherein said plurality of toroidal field coils comprise copper coils. 
     
     
       9. A modular installation for generating thermal energy from fusion reactions in an ionized plasma of fusible fuel comprising: (a) a plurality of fusion core units each including as components thereof, 1. a toroidal vacuum plasma cavity for containing said fusible fuel said cavity in the form of a toroid surrounding a central region;   2. a plurality of toroidal field coils surrounding said plasma cavity for generating a toroidal magnetic field therein; and   3. ohmic heating means for inducing an ohmic heating current in the ionized plasma within the plasma cavity of each of said fusion core units for raising the temperature of said plasma, said ohmic heating means including a transformer means contained within said central region so that said toroidal plasma cavity surrounds said transformer means, and said ohmic heating current generating a poloidal magnetic field within said plasma, said components of each fusion core unit being so arranged and interconnected as to allow handling of said fusion core unit as a single entity;     (b) disconnectable means extending into each of said fusion core units for delivering said fusible fuel therein:   (c) a plurality of disconnectable means for transporting a cooling fluid to and through the toroidal field coils of each of said fusion core units;   (d) a power supply connected through disconnectable means to said toroidal field coils for generating a toroidal magnetic field for confining the ionized plasma within the plasma cavity of said fusion core units, said toroidal magnetic field having a strength of on the order of greater than 100 KG;   (e) said plurality of toroidal field coils comprising high-strength, non-superconducting conductors for sustaining said toroidal magnetic field and for withstanding said thermal energy;   (f) a single blanket means positioned completely outside of and substantially surrounding the toroidal field coils of said plurality of fusion core units, said blanket means having a common inlet and a common outlet for said toroidal field coil cooling fluid transport means said blanket, means comprising at least two modules;   (g) said toroidal field coils and said plasma cavity have no blanket means therebetween;   (h) means for connecting said disconnecting each of said disconnectable means, means for separating said at least two modules of said blanket means a distance sufficient to allow removal of a predetermined fusion core unit, means for removing and inserting a fusion core unit as a single entity between the separated modules of said blanket means;   (i) blanket cooling fluid transport means connected to said blanket means for transporting a cooling fluid to and through said blanket means; and   (j) means, connected to the blanket cooling fluid transport means and the plurality of toroidal field cooling fluid transport means, for extracting thermal energy therefrom whereby the means for extracting thermal energy is operable to receive thermal energy from all of said plurality of fusion core units of said modular installation which are operating at a given time.   
     
     
       10. A modular installation as recited in claim 9 wherein said toroidal field coils and said plasma cavity have no blanket means therebetween. 
     
     
       11. A modular installation as recited in claim 1 wherein said toroidal magnetic field strength is on the order of 100-150 kg. 
     
     
       12. A modular installation as recited in claim 1 wherein said means for extracting thermal energy is connected to both said blanket cooling fluid transport means and said toroidal field coil cooling fluid transport means. 
     
     
       13. A modular installation as recited in claim 12 wherein said thermal energy extraction means comprises a first fluid transport means for extracting thermal energy from each of said plurality of toroidal field coils and a second fluid transport means for extracting thermal energy from each of said plurality of blanket means. 
     
     
       14. A modular installation as recited in claim 13 wherein said first fluid transport means connects each of said plurality of toroidal field coils in series with one another and with a heat exchange means. 
     
     
       15. A modular installation as recited in claim 13 wherein said first fluid transport means separately connects each of said plurality of toroidal field coil cooling fluid transport means to a heat exchange means. 
     
     
       16. A modular installation as recited in claim 13 wherein said second fluid transport means connects each of said plurality of blanket cooling fluid transport means in series with one another and with a heat exchange means. 
     
     
       17. A modular installation as recited in claim 13 wherein said second fluid transport means separately connects each of said plurality of blanket cooling fluid transport means to a heat exchange means. 
     
     
       18. A modular installation as recited in claim 12 wherein said thermal energy extraction means comprises a single cooling fluid transport means for the toroidal field coils of each of said plurality of fusion core units and for said corresponding plurality of blanket means. 
     
     
       19. A modular installation as recited in claim 18 wherein said single fluid transport means connects the cooling fluid transport means for the toroidal field coils of each of said plurality of fusion core units and the cooling fluid transport means for the corresponding blanket means in series with one another and with a heat exchange means. 
     
     
       20. A modular installation as recited in claim 18 wherein said single fluid transport means separately connects the cooling fluid transport means for the plurality of toroidal field coils of each of said plurality of fusion core units and the cooling fluid transport means for the corresponding blanket means to a heat exchange means.